Frozen Review

One of the best Disney animated films since Beauty and the Beast.

By Chris Carle

Posted: 20 Nov 2013 1:17 am

Disney has built an empire mining fairy tales for their animated stories, so it's no surprise that their 53rd animated feature, Frozen, tackles the Hans Christian Andersen tale The Snow Queen. Given that this is the same team that brought the outstanding Wreck-It Ralph to theaters, it's also no surprise that this is an incredibly heartwarming, hilarious and very memorable addition to the Disney legacy. In fact, it's one of their best homegrown princess movies since the golden age of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.

Set in the land of Arendelle, the story follows two princess sisters from early (adorable) childhood: Elsa and Anna. Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) has the power to magically create snow and ice, but after a near-tragic encounter involving her sister Anna (played by Kristen Bell), she is boarded up in the castle and no longer uses her powers. Anna is saved, but has no memory of the incident.

The girls' parents decide the only thing to do is separate the girls. They live their lives in literal and figurative isolation, each one yearning to be close to her sister. Years glide by in a montage that's accompanied by the touching song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" and the princesses grow into young women. Anna longs to be close to her sister, but to protect Anna, Elsa hides her power.

But, it wouldn't be much of a story if the powers never came out, and they invariably do. The kingdom arranges Elsa's coronation (after the tragic death of their parents), and Anna is excited that she will be reunited with her sister, but her hopes for a warm reunion are dashed when Elsa shies away. Still, Anna is out of captivity and full of life, and open to all possibilities, including true love in the form of Hans (Santino Fontana), who immediately captures her heart.

She is eager to rush into marriage with Hans, but when she approaches Elsa about it, they argue and Elsa loses control of her power, unintentionally covering the land in a harsh, snowy permanent winter. Elsa, now the snow queen, retreats to the mountains, where she sets up an icy lair.

Anna takes off after her sister, enlisting the help of an ice-delivery man Kristoff, played by Jonathon Groff (Elsa royally messed up his profession), and his reindeer Sven, both of whom have a winsome charm. The movie is clever enough to avoid talking animals, and instead has Kristoff voicing his impression of the reindeer's thoughts, a formula that works for steady laughs.

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However, the most consistently hilarious performance comes from Josh Gad, who honed his singing chops performing onstage in The Book of Mormon. He plays the talking snowman Olaf... which isn't a talking animal. His voice acting is perfectly timed and he delivers a show-stopping song as a snowman who longs for the warming rays of summer, totally oblivious to what the heat will do to him.

In fact, the songs are all outstanding; the best since The Lion King. There isn't a weak link among them. The aforementioned "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" and "In Summer" are witty, catchy and memorable, but the one that will go down in the history books is the show-stopper "Let it Go." Expect Idina Menzel to be singing (and probably winning) at the Oscars.

In fact, the only minor criticism is that sometimes the movie feels like it's lacking a bad guy. The internal struggle of Elsa is fascinating in and of itself, and the stakes are purely rooted in emotion, but there isn't that classic Disney villain here. The few people who oppose Anna (and ultimately Elsa) are really no threat at all.

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That said, the heart of the movie, and what makes it work so well, is the moving tale of the two sisters. Anna is a brash, bold, adventurous, romantic and sometimes goofy princess. She's a bit of a continuation and improvement upon the Rapunzel character from Tangled. Kristen Bell does a wonderful job bringing depth and complexity to the character. There is a tenderness and vulnerability to her that is instantly relatable. Menzel also crushes it as Elsa, whose sometimes tragic life is a journey of trust: in herself, in her abilities, and in her sister.

There is a story of real empowerment here, which is woven subtly through the narrative. This is the magic recipe for future Disney princesses: smart, strong, funny, beautiful, flawed, human. It indulges fairy tale and reality and does it with a deft touch. That is perhaps the film's greatest success: it succeeds in delivering a powerful message without being heavy-handed, and leaves you looking forward to the next project this talented team takes on.

Verdict

Top to bottom, Frozen is a delight. The writing is witty, the voicing is excellent, the story is nuanced and the songs are some of the best since Beauty and the Beast. It's a throwback to a wondrous time in Disney animation, and just a ton of fun.